Product Perfect

PACT III is a historic computer programming language, primarily used in the 1960s. Developed by SHARE (Society to Help Avoid Redundant Effort), it was an upgrade from its predecessor PACT I and II, designed for IBM mainframe computers. The language was specifically created to facilitate scientific computation with features like floating-point arithmetic and array handling. It represented a significant step forward in the evolution of high-level languages during that era. References for this information can be found in historical records such as "A History of Computer Programming Languages" by Thomas J Bergin Jr., and "The Evolution of High-Level Programming Languages: From Fortran to Java" by Robert W Sebesta.

Ask the right questions secure the right PACT III talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General PACT III app knowledge and experience

The first 20 minutes of the interview should seek to understand the candidate's general background in PACT III application development, including their experience with various programming languages, databases, and their approach to designing scalable and maintainable systems.

How would you describe the main features of PACT III?

PACT III is a powerful tool that offers features like automated contract testing, provider verification, and pact broker, which allows for sharing of contract details among different teams. It also supports multiple languages and has a robust community for support.

What are the benefits of using PACT III for contract testing?

PACT III provides benefits such as early detection of integration issues, support for continuous delivery, consumer-driven contracts, and it reduces the need for end-to-end tests, making the development process more efficient.

Describe the difference between PACT and other contract testing tools.

PACT is consumer-driven, meaning the consumer defines the contract. This is different from other tools where the provider generally defines the contract. PACT also supports automated contract testing and has a pact broker for sharing contract details.

How would you handle a situation where a provider fails to meet the contract in PACT III?

If a provider fails to meet the contract, I would first investigate the cause of the failure. If it's due to a change in the provider's code, I would coordinate with the provider's team to resolve the issue. If it's due to an incorrect contract, I would update the contract and re-run the tests.

What are the steps to set up a PACT broker?

Setting up a PACT broker involves installing the broker, configuring the database, setting up the reverse proxy, and then configuring the PACT participants to use the broker.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a solid understanding of PACT III?

How well does the candidate communicate?

Can the candidate solve problems effectively?

Does the candidate show a willingness to learn and adapt?

Next 20 minutes

Specific PACT III development questions

The next 20 minutes of the interview should focus on the candidate's expertise with specific backend frameworks, their understanding of RESTful APIs, and their experience in handling data storage and retrieval efficiently.

Describe the difference between consumer-driven contracts and provider-driven contracts.

In consumer-driven contracts, the consumer defines the contract based on their requirements. In provider-driven contracts, the provider defines the contract. Consumer-driven contracts are more flexible and can better accommodate changes.

How would you use PACT III to support continuous delivery?

PACT III supports continuous delivery by allowing for automated contract testing. This means that any changes can be tested immediately, ensuring that the application is always in a deliverable state.

What are the challenges of using PACT III and how would you overcome them?

Some challenges of using PACT III include managing contract versions and coordinating between different teams. These can be overcome by using the pact broker for contract sharing and versioning, and by establishing clear communication channels between teams.

Describe the difference between PACT III and end-to-end testing.

PACT III focuses on testing the interaction between two services, while end-to-end testing involves testing the entire application from start to finish. PACT III can detect integration issues earlier and is more efficient than end-to-end testing.

How would you handle a situation where a consumer fails to meet the contract in PACT III?

If a consumer fails to meet the contract, I would investigate the cause of the failure. If it's due to a change in the consumer's code, I would coordinate with the consumer's team to resolve the issue. If it's due to an incorrect contract, I would update the contract and re-run the tests.

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At this point, a skilled PACT III engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in PACT III programming language, and knowledge of software development methodologies. Red flags include lack of hands-on experience, inability to articulate complex concepts, or unfamiliarity with standard coding practices.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with PACT III.

What does this simple Pact code do?
pact> (defun hello (name) (format "Hello, {}!" [name]))
This code defines a simple function in Pact language named 'hello'. This function takes one argument 'name' and returns a string saying 'Hello, {name}!' where {name} is replaced by the argument passed to the function.
What will be the output of the following Pact code?
pact> (defun test (x) (if (> x 5) "Greater" "Less"))
This code defines a function 'test' which takes an argument 'x'. If 'x' is greater than 5, it returns the string 'Greater'. Otherwise, it returns the string 'Less'. The output depends on the argument passed to the function.
What does this Pact code do with the array?
pact> (map (+ 1) [1 2 3 4 5])
This code applies the function (+ 1) to each element of the array [1 2 3 4 5]. This results in an array where each element is incremented by 1, i.e., [2 3 4 5 6].
What does this Pact code do related to concurrency?
pact> (defun test () (with-read accounts ['Alice 'Bob] (enforce (>= (at 'balance (read accounts 'Alice)) 100) "Insufficient funds") (debit 'Alice 100) (credit 'Bob 100)))
This code defines a function 'test' that performs a transaction between two accounts, 'Alice' and 'Bob'. It first checks if Alice's account has sufficient balance (>= 100). If not, it throws an error message 'Insufficient funds'. If the balance is sufficient, it debits 100 from Alice's account and credits 100 to Bob's account. All these operations are performed in a single atomic transaction.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for PACT III Developer role questions

The final few questions should evaluate the candidate's teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, assess their knowledge of microservices architecture, serverless computing, and how they handle PACT III application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

What are the steps to set up automated contract testing in PACT III?

Setting up automated contract testing involves defining the contract, setting up the PACT tests in the consumer's code, running the tests to generate the contract, and then verifying the contract on the provider's side.

Describe the difference between PACT III and traditional integration testing.

PACT III focuses on testing the interaction between two services, while traditional integration testing involves testing multiple components together. PACT III can detect integration issues earlier and is more efficient than traditional integration testing.

How would you use PACT III to facilitate communication between different teams?

PACT III facilitates communication between teams through the pact broker, which allows for sharing and versioning of contracts. This ensures that all teams have access to the latest contract details.

PACT III application related

Product Perfect's PACT III development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your PACT III engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in PACT III projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.

PACT III Consultive assessments

PACT III Application Conversion Assessment PACT III Application Integration Assessment PACT III Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom PACT III development projects

Custom PACT III App Conversion PACT III Custom App Development Process App UI Design for PACT III Facelifts

Hiring guide for PACT III Engineers

PACT III Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the PACT III engineer at this point.

PACT III Consultive assessments

Custom PACT III development projects